MV Jia Ho?s operational permit violates Presidential Instruction No. 5/2005
Saturday, January 28 2006 - 02:40 AM WIB
The ship MV Jia Ho that hit the port has also a legal problem because the permit that was issued by the Ministry of Transportation had violated the Presidential Instruction No. 5/2005, the Bisnis Indonesia newspaper reported in its Saturday edition.
After questioning the witnesses, for the time being, the MP reached the conclusion that the operation of both the port and the ship are problematic,? the head of the MP Tjahjo Willis Gerilyanto told the Bisnis on Thursday in Jakarta.
The MP examined the MV Jia Ho after an accident was occurred on Jan. 17, 2006, around 10 a.m. when the ship was about to dock at the Tanjung Jati port.
According to Tjahjo, the ship which flies Taiwanese flag collided with the port due to sudden high speed winds and big waves which lead to the accident. One port?s fender was damaged in the incident.
He said the court has questioned several professional witnesses among others a guide from the Pelindo III (the Port Authority of Indonesia unit III), the management of the PLN?s special coal port, the ship?s agent PT Maskapai Pelayaran Pulau Laut and the ship?s captain.
Based on the testimonies of witnesses, Tjahjo said, the port is still in the process of obtaining permission from the government.
Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation Hatta Rajasa said his office gave the permission for the ship to operate for three months because of emergency. Because, the coal supplies were finished at Tanjung Jati B power plant.
? The main reason for giving the permission is emergency to supply coal to Tanjung Jati B. But I have asked the Ministry of Transportation?s inspector general to look into the case,? Hatta said on Friday in Jakarta.
The ship was carrying about 66,000 tons of coal belonging to the PT Kaltim Prima Coal?s from Tanjung Bara in East Kalimantan at the time of the accident. (*)